In electrical engineering, the term charging station denotes any stationary apparatus or electrical installation which serves to feed energy to mobile rechargeable battery-operated devices, machines or motor vehicles by simple positioning or plugging-in, without having to remove the energy storage—for instance the traction battery of an electric automobile. Charging stations for electric automobiles are colloquially also referred to as “electricity charging stations” and can comprise a plurality of charging points, which are characterized as “charging columns” depending on the design.
Known systems here include, particularly, DC rapid charging systems (high performance charging, HPC) in accordance with IEC 61851-23, which is incorporated by reference herein, such as the so-called combined charging system (CCS) widely used in Europe. In DC charging of the generic type, direct current is fed from the charging column directly into the vehicle and, for this purpose, is provided from the electricity grid by means of a powerful rectifier or at solar charging stations by means of large buffer rechargeable batteries. In the vehicle there is generally an OBC (On Board Charger) control unit. The latter communicates with the charging column and the battery management control unit.
According to the prior art, the power electronics required for this purpose are usually integrated in the charging column and have a loading capacity up to a power limit of 50 kW. Since the DC connections of the charging column are directly connected to corresponding connections of the traction battery, high charging currents can thus be transmitted with low losses, which enables short charging times.
US 2013307477, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a separate container for the power electronics. Said container has a power connection, for example a sealable screw connection, to which the power feed for supplying the charging station with electrical energy can be connected. Additionally or alternatively, a cable connection is provided, to which the charging cable can be connected. A charging station comprising such a container is intended to be prefabricated before being delivered and connected without the need to intervene in the interior of the charging station during installation.
Nevertheless, the container has a maintenance hatch, by means of which said container can be opened and closed as necessary. Via said maintenance hatch, by way of example, the electrical or electronic components, or parts thereof, that are directly required for charging the electric vehicle can be lifted as a unit from the container without electrical connection cables having to be released. Furthermore, at least upon the partial removal of components, the container is accessible via the maintenance hatch, such that maintenance work possibly required can be carried out.